A bid to save Folkestone's seafront nightclub from demolition is causing a stir with the chamber of commerce calling for it to be flattened.

The Express exclusively revealed campaigners are trying to save the Onyx nightclub after plans to knock it down were submitted.

An application to list the Marine Pavilion in Marine Parade on Folkestone seafront was launched by the Shepway Heart Forum after news emerged of the club’s closure last month.

The forum works to protect historic sites and important pieces of heritage in Shepway and to promote tourism.

But businessman Ray Johnson from the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce said the building needs to go for Folkestone to move forwards.

He said: "It is clear that the existing site structure is outdated and would appear significantly dilapidated, so regardless huge investment would be required which would not be sustainable.

"Nevertheless, with the development programme by Folkestone Harbour Company, we would want to ensure that this proceeds without hindrance or delay, which will not only complement the site once developed but also provide vital economic growth benefits.

"The whole project is vital for employment and would also complement the existing facilities within the town and surrounding area.

"We would hope that all other parties would embrace and support the project that will enable it to grow and prosper to support the town, its residents and businesses alike."

Plans to flatten the nightclub building were published when owner Folkestone Harbour Company (FHC) submitted an application to Shepway District Council for demolition.

A report prepared by Martello Building Consultancy for FHC says the work would involve bringing all of the building down and levelling it with tarmac.

The application says that demolition is “necessary due to the dilapidated condition of the building”, and it would pave the way for the redevelopment of the seafront and harbour area.

But Heart Forum chairman Roger Joyce said the group was applying to Historic England to save the 1926 pavilion as it had not been designated as a heritage asset in a conservation area.

He added: “There is value in conserving what is good about the historic environment. This could be saved and put to use early rather than face the prospect of more desolate tarmac.

“There are so many things going on in Folkestone, and this building could house a mini museum of the harbour and seafront, exhibitions, events, and serve as a welcome facility for holiday makers and residents alike, with a decent cafe.”

He said former owner Jimmy Godden “did enough damage by clearing the Rotunda and Boating Pool”, adding: “This would be the final chapter in the gradual loss of anything historic remaining from the seafront improvements.”

A Historic England spokesman said: “We have received an application to list the Marine Pavilion in Folkestone. It is being assessed and our advice will go over to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Our advice remains confidential until the minister announces the final decision.”

The Marine Pavilion is the last remaining feature from the old Rotunda seafront entertainments after bulldozers rolled on to the site in 2002 when Jimmy Godden prepared to sell the land.

But the pavilion – which was already a nightclub by that point – remained.

It hosted variety shows, plays, dancing and roller skating before its various incarnations as a nightclub – most recently the Onyx but formerly La Parisienne, giving it the affectionate nickname ‘The Priz’.

The venue formed part of the hugely popular seafront attractions during Folkestone’s heyday between the two world wars, and remained popular later.

Shepway Heart Forum’s application to English Heritage notes the building is of a similar design and era to the Regent Cinema on Deal seafront, which campaigners are also fighting to preserve.

The day Onyx confirmed its closure, on October 13, FHC’s Peter Bettley said the club was “not a factor” in the progress of the seafront development, adding it would be some time before building started there.

He said an offer to extend the lease was on the table. Mr Bettley told the Express: “The building has a finite life but we don’t have a timeline for this. The pressure isn’t there imminently to start building on that part. It’s not holding things up.”

The public can comment on the application until December 8. Search application Y15/1066/SH at http://bit.ly/1MSSwUl